Powered by YOUth: A Place 4 Me’s Direct Services
Welcome to A Place 4 Me’s 2024–2025 Annual Report. This year’s theme, Powered by YOUth, is a reflection of our core belief that young people are not just the reason for our work; they are the leaders of it. Across every program, partnership, and policy effort, youth voice shapes our vision and fuels our mission. In the following pages, you’ll see how we are building a future where every young person has a safe place to call home and how YOU help make that possible.
Our Work
At A Place 4 Me, our mission to prevent and end youth homelessness is grounded in the belief that every young person deserves safety, stability, and the power to shape their own future.
Our work is built on three core pillars: Direct Services, Authentic Youth Engagement, and Systems Change. Through direct services, we meet immediate needs and help young people build pathways to housing stability and financial independence. Through authentic youth engagement, we ensure that young adults with lived experience are leading and shaping solutions. And through systems change, we convene partners and drive collective action to transform the systems that impact young people’s lives.
Direct Services
A Place 4 Me provides direct services to youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, ranging from individualized navigation support to building financial capability. Our team walks alongside young people as they work toward stability, connecting them to housing, resources, and opportunities that support their goals and futures.
YOUTH NAVIGATION
A Place 4 Me’s Youth Navigation Team walks alongside young people as they navigate housing, education, employment, and other critical needs. All of our Navigators have lived experience with homelessness or foster care, allowing them to build trust and provide individualized support that connects youth to the resources and relationships needed for lasting stability and success.
OPPORTUNITY PASSPORT®
Opportunity Passport® is a matched savings and financial capabilities program for youth ages 14-25 who have spent at least one day in foster care after their 14th birthday. The course helps youth open a bank account in their own name and matches youth savings for the purchase of assets.
DIGNITY FUND
Rooted in radical hospitality, the Dignity Fund helps young people not just secure housing but maintain it. A Place 4 Me provides lodging kits with essential household items, access to furniture resources, and financial assistance for move-in costs. Our donation closet offers clothing, hygiene products, and other necessities, helping youth meet their needs with dignity as they build stability.
EMERGENCY AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE
To prevent homelessness before it begins, A Place 4 Me provides one-time emergency assistance to young people ages 18 to 24 who are experiencing a housing crisis. This support helps cover rental payments, deposits, or other urgent expenses that can make the difference between losing housing and maintaining stability.
